Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the role of allotment sites in meeting the objectives of her plans for biodiversity net gain.

The biodiversity value of allotments is recognised in the biodiversity metric that we intend to use for biodiversity net gain, subject to a recent consultation. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation on this metric and will publish a response in due course. We have also been engaging with the sector to discuss how biodiversity net gain might affect allotments and how the approach could incorporate the delivery of new allotments.